The Holiness of God


 

The Holiness of God

            Many don’t address God’s holiness because we would rather see God as our friend.  We like the idea of God as father and we enjoy hearing about other traits like mercy, love and grace.  To face His holiness on the one hand is to face our lack of holiness on the other.  How do we juxtapose the popular teachings of Jesus our Savior, our brother and our friend with other biblical teachings of God’s majesty, wrath, justice and power? 
The beauty of reading the Old Testament, the Gospels and especially the book of Revelation is that these writings reveal the God who stands apart from His creation and yet loves it enough to save it from self-destruction.  Much of it we don’t understand and yet we can’t help being impressed with a Creator that has righteous demands and standards that are absolute.
            I am am seeking the help of R.C. Sproul and Jerry Bridges, two authors that have studied this topic extensively.  I believe that studying the holiness of God may unravel some of our preconceptions of ‘the god we want to believe in’ and reframe our theology with the God who is there.  It may prove upsetting for some and a relief for others.  I also believe that studying this topic could have miraculous effects on every aspect of our lives.  In computer language we could view it as a reboot. 
            Is your marriage struggling?  Focus on God’s holiness.  Are you dealing with depression?  Spend time in worship.  Are you being tempted by alcohol, drugs or other addiction?  Recognize God’s nature and and submit to Him.  Are the social issues of the day causing you to be confused?  Read God’s Word and allow your thoughts to be filtered through the purifying nature of the God who inspired the Bible.
            Lastly, I view studying God’s holiness as a return to the basics.  Grasping this truth will enable us to tackle other issues in Scripture with a sure foundation.  Our journey towards God's holiness will certainly not be disappointing but it may unravel some presuppositions about God.

God Bless,

Allen

“I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”
Isaiah 43:15

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